Engine: 223-ci OHV inline six; 272-ci OHV V-8
Horsepower: 133; 167
Price New: $1,485
Value Now: $12,000-$50,000
If you were on a farm in the mid-1950s, chances are good there'd be a Ford F100 there, too. These workday vehicles are now prized by street rodders and restorers alike, the latter for their historical significance. Rodders like them because the fat-fender Fords just look cool lowered and flamed. The F-series began in 1948 with the new truck-chassised F1 replacing the earlier car-based pickup line. The next major update, arriving in 1953, kept the classic look with a domed hood, but was sleeker and melted enough just to soften the edges. Buyers had the choice of the 100-horsepower flathead V-8 or a 101-horsepower inline six. The 239-ci Y-block V-8 replaced the flathead for 1954, while the six got bigger, adding horsepower over a four-year period. Not that it matters much to street rodders, however -- they replace that heavy old eight with a modern, more powerful engine, and hit the gas.
Behind the Wheel:
Pickups Unlimited is a club dedicated to the first-generation F100 pickup, and it recently advertised a 1956 F100 for around $50,000. Great deals are still available in the neighborhood shopper classifieds, especially in the Midwest or farm country.
Photo courtesy of Ford
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